A lot of things happen during Summer League, lots of games in one day. Here are some notes on the things that didn’t make their own post from the first day in Orlando.
* Jrue Holiday may have been the best single player to take the floor the first day of games in Orlando, which should makes Sixers fans happy. He has become a very patient person running the pick-and-roll. What should make the fans happier was how he played with No. 2 pick Evan Turner. There seemed to be some chemistry there -- two ball handling guards in the backcourt who can set up plays for each other. And did. Turner had a nice game: He looked a little rusty and got a tough welcome for a first game being matched up on Terrance Williams, a fast-improving rookie last year. But he held his own, and is only going to get better. There’s a lot to be excited about.
* Utah’s Gordon Hayward is a scrapper. Going in we all knew the Butler product could shoot -- he had a nice catch-and-shoot for one early bucket that he could do a lot this season -- but Adam Morrison can knock it down if you leave him open. However Gordon would mix it up -- on one of his first clean looks he could have tried to elevate for the 15-footer, but he leaned in and got the contact, held his own and got the shot off. He got rebounds, made some passes, had a couple steals, got to loose balls. He started the game tentative but seemed to find himself as it went on. No big numbers put up (2-2 shooting from the floor). One Summer League game counts for squat in the real world. But he did the little things you can ask, which is a good sign.
* Alexis Ajinca is a physical specimen at center for Charlotte, but he was always that. He had some strong rebounds in traffic that were impressive. More impressive: He seemed today to make more good plays, more smart plays than bad. Which is a change for the better. He showed out well on some picks, but also made a bad choice on another chasing Rod Benson out too far and giving him a lane to drive. Still, he looks better and if he could start to take some real minutes in the season it would be a boost.
* Gerald Henderson showed off an improved jumper to go with the leaping ability and athleticism we have always known he had. Henderson’s game looked more rounded, which could get him minutes for the Bobcats next season.
* I’ll admit I may have been wrong. I thought Luke Harangody’s game would not translate to the NBA. But the guy shot the rock -- 9 of 13 from the floor, 4 of 6 from three. That led to 23 points for the Celtics. He was great at sliding into the open spot on the floor and not shying away from the shot. He also was smart: put a smaller guy on him and he posted the defender up, put a bigger defender on him and he drew him out to the arc. He can face up or go back to the basket. We’ll see if he can defend and how he does long term, but he may be a good fit after all.
* Another guy who had a good game was Oliver Lafayette. Who, you ask? Former University of Houston guy who had a stop in Fort Wayne D-League and was playing for the Celtics. He had a dozen points in the first half and showed himself a real scorer, but the defense got tighter on him in second half and he did not do a good job setting up teammates.